STORMERS DROP PAIR

Five-Run Rallies Propel Crabs to Two Walkoffs

The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs got to celebrate a pair of walkoff wins on Wednesday evening.  The Lancaster Stormers were left scratching their heads.

Southern Maryland struck for five runs in their final at bats in both games of a doubleheader to sweep the Stormers, 9-5 and 9-8, at Regency Furniture Stadium.

In the opener, Lancaster had rallied from a 3-0 deficit to send the game into extra frames, knotted at 4-4.  Joseph Carpenter broke up Shawn Semple’s shutout with a leadoff homer in the fifth, and Trace Loehr cut the lead to 3-2 with a two-out RBI single.  After the Blue Crabs scored again in the bottom of the fifth on the third unearned run of the night off starter Jack Labosky, Chris Proctor came through with a game-tying, two-run homer off Endrys Briceno (1-0) in the seventh, and Cristian Santana’s two-out RBI single plated Loehr with the lead run in the top of the eighth.

Manager Ross Peeples summoned James Hoyt (0-3) to pick up a tough save.  Hoyt walked Juan Kelly, and the two runners advanced on a bunt by Josh Broughton.  Aaron Hill was walked intentionally to load the bases.  A passed ball charged to Proctor allowed the tying run to score before Anthony Ray walked to refill the bags.  Alan Alonso jumped on the first pitch he saw for a decisive grand slam.

The second game loss was more staggering.  Lancaster bolted out to an 8-1 lead through 3 ½ innings as Jack Conley clubbed a two-run homer in the second, and four different Stormers hitters picked up RBI singles in the fourth.

However, Alonso cracked a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the fourth off spot started Nolan Long, reversing the game’s momentum.  The Stormers never picked up another hit while Southern Maryland remained on the attack.  Broughton collected a two-out, two-strike RBI single in the fifth but held the lead at 8-4.  Two strikeouts and a pickoff got Max Green (0-3) through the sixth, but the lefty ran into all kinds of trouble in the seventh.

Matt Hibbert opened the inning with a single to right center.  Green fanned Michael Wielansky but never got another out.  Anthony Brocato slugged a two-run homer down the left field line, and, following a walk to Kelly, Broughton belted a nearly identical long ball to tie the game.  Hill walked and Gabe Wurtz got the Blue Crabs over the top with a double to the gap in left center.

Nile Ball (2-1) will take the hill for the Stormers on Thursday morning against right-hander Garrett Martin (2-0).  Fans may watch the game on FloBaseball, starting at 10:30 AM.

NOTES:  Carpenter’s homer was his first…He hit four at Southern Maryland in 2023…Santana has hit safely in 15 of 16 games played…Lancaster placed IF Isan Diaz (lower body injury) on the injured list, retroactive to Sunday…He came out of Saturday’s game after legging out a double…Labosky became the first Lancaster starter to go seven innings this season…He yielded five hits and a walk and one earned run.